What a difference a typo makes

Are massive protests against suppression of artistic freedom being secretly organized due to the final X rating handed down by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) for the film Dear Satan whose title has been changed by its producers to Dear Santa before it was submitted for a second review?

We haven’t heard of any plans by militant groups about the movie’s final disapproval. Many thought it would be approved on second review with the film retitled Dear Santa.” The film’s producers, a company that calls itself simply as MAVX Productions, don’t seem to be the militant activists’ types who take to the streets and the plazas to protest.

There are also no whispers and loud talks that any streaming platform is willing to show the film. Or that the producers have offered it to a streaming company. The international digital outlets are not covered by the MTRCB, which is why the almost pornographic movies of digital Vivamax are never questioned, never snipped of any scene. Never classified by the MTRCB.

The film is topbilled by Paolo Contis and child actor Sienna Stevens. 

The MTRCB chair and CEO, Lala Sotto-Antonio, has announced: “The Committee that reviewed the film found that the material depicts Satan as capable of transformation, saying it is a distortion of Catholic and Christian teachings. The review committee said the film’s narrative, which presents the possibility of Satan being redeemed, is deceiving to the eyes of the viewers.”

The film is really about a little girl who writes to Santa (Claus) but misspelled the name as “Satan.” The devil replied, even showed up to the little girl, he got so touched by her kindness, and decided to be benevolent to hear.

The MTRCB reviewers were not affected by the producers open letter published after the film’s first disapproval. The producers pointed out: “The film is a narrative about the power of faith and the triumph of good over evil. We wanted to illustrate that, despite the presence of evil in the world, faith and virtue can prevail.”

At a Senate sub-committee budget hearing for the MTRCB and Film Development Council (FDCP), the FDCP chair Joey Javier Reyes, a filmmaker himself, revealed that Dear Satan was funded by Mowelfund, an agency for the welfare of movie workers. The film’s script was a product of a Mowelfund film writing workshop based on a story concept of lead actor Paolo Contis himself. It was directed by RC (Reuben Christopher) de los Reyes.

The second review committee with five members unanimously banned the film for theater release. The committee was headed by singer-actor Richard Reynoso. 

 The four members were Cherry Anne Espion, Lillian Ng, movie production executive Joann Bañaga, and ex-actor-singer Val Sotto, an uncle of the MTRCB chair since Val is a brother of the chair’s father, ex-Senate President Tito Sotto (who has gone back to hosting the noontime show Eat Bulaga on TV5).

The first review committee that also  unanimously disapproved the film was composed by ex-actors Almira Muhlach, Jan Marini Alano, and someone named Glenn Patricio. It had only the usual three members.

The other film that was similarly disapproved recently on first review but for another reason, Alipato at Muog (Sparks and Forts), has been approved on second review and classified “R-16.” That means its theater screening is open to viewers 16 years-old. We’re not sure if those minors (the 16 and 17 years-old’s) can watch even without an accompanying adult guardian. 

The film’s approval was welcomed by a crowd of demonstrators outside the MTRCB building in Timog Avenue, QC, carrying placards variously denouncing suppression of freedom of expression. They, of course, screamed in rejoicing over the film’s approval for screening seemingly without cuts. There are no reports about imposed deletions on the film.

Alipato at Muog is a documentary about the disappearance of labor leader Jonas Burgos whose family strongly believes he was snatched by the military outside a mall on 28 April 2007. The case remains unresolved for years now. Jonas was only 37 years old when he was abducted.

Jonas was a son of the late militant newsman-publisher Jose “Joe” Burgos Jr., a renowned fighter for press freedom. The film was directed by JL Burgos, another son of the newsman-publisher. The son’s surviving mother, the educator Editha Burgos, is very much part of the film. Now in her 80s, the mother still hopes her son Jonas could be found, living or dead, and those responsible for his forcible disappearance be held accountable for their actions.

The docu is denunciatory, which is why it was initially banned.

We wonder what would have the militant filmmakers Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal have done with the banning of a film if they were still alive today. Both had been the type to fearlessly organize protest rallies. Some of their protege film directors and scriptwriters are still around, still active in the industry. We haven’t heard anyone of them speak a single word on the banning of Dear Satan.